I’m on Capitol Hill just about every day. And you know what question I keep getting asked? How did ONE help get the Electrify Africa Act passed in the House of Representatives?

And you know what I always say? Because of ONE members like you.

Just a couple of hours ago, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Senior Republican Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) introduced the Energize Africa Act (it’s official: we have a bill!). We are very excited about this. The bill aims to help African countries bring first time access to electricity to 50 million people by 2020. It does this in a number of ways, including:

Requiring the White House to develop a comprehensive multiyear strategy to assist countries in sub-Saharan Africa to implement country-led power strategies;

Requiring USAID, OPIC and US African Development Foundation to prioritize assistance for power projects; and

Introduction of the bill was just the first step. Next up, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider the bill. And great news – that will happen next Tuesday! We’ll be working hard to make sure the hearing on Tuesday is a good one – and the best way to do that is to have our members weigh in with their senators about the importance of the bill. The more support we get, the better the chances we have for success!

I’ve seen firsthand the power of ONE volunteers. You voice was heard in the House.

Last week, I was honored to be invited to attend “Saving Every Woman, Every Child,” the Canadian Summit on maternal, newborn and children’s health. Held at the historic Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto, it was an amazing event – a gathering of leaders and advocates dedicated to reducing preventable deaths and increasing public support and awareness.

The Fairmont has seen its share of world figures over the years – presidents, queens, kings, etc. But I bet it’s never seen a line-up like the one at this summit. Over the course of three days, we heard from leaders such as Canadian Prime Minister Harper, Tanzanian President Kikwete, Queen Rania, the Aga Kahn, World Bank President Jim Kim, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, and many, many others.

The summit featured a keynote address by Melinda Gates, who made the case that investing in the health of women and children is not only the right thing to do, but is a primary driver of economic opportunities as well.

As part of the summit, Prime Minister Harper announced a commitment of $3.5 billion CAD for maternal, newborn and children’s health from 2015 to 2020. The government will target three priority areas: reducing disease burdens, strengthening health systems, and improving nutrition.

Canadian ONE members have been vocal about their support for these programs, and have gained the attention of Canadian leaders. During the summit, I was honored to meet with the Honorable Christian Paradis, the Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie.

We discussed the importance of the summit, and I presented him with our vaccines petition, the GAVI report and a ONE GAVI soccer jersey. He was impressed by the number of signatures (almost 6,000!) from Canadian ONE members, and was especially happy that a number of his constituents had signed (in fact, a number of these were on the first page – which was more luck than strategy, but worked!).

He also thanked ONE for all of our efforts, and said that we were a great partner. And while they have not made their announcement on GAVI funding yet, we’ll keep up the work and continue to push for a big increase.

Overall, a great opportunity for ONE, and an important moment in the progress against extreme poverty and preventable disease. As many of the participants said – success is within arm’s reach. Many of us discussed how refreshing it was to be at an event that highlighted progress and opportunity – as well as challenges. As long as we – governments, corporations, leaders, NGOs, ONE members – remain committed to the fight, we’ll win.

Stay updated with ONE activities in Canada. Follow ONE Canada on Facebook.

]]>https://www.one.org/us/2014/06/03/one-delivers-vaccine-petition-to-supportive-canadian-leadership/feed/0International Affairs budget: 2014 numbers are inhttps://www.one.org/us/2014/01/14/international-affairs-budget-2014-house-numbers-are-in/
https://www.one.org/us/2014/01/14/international-affairs-budget-2014-house-numbers-are-in/#respondTue, 14 Jan 2014 22:31:50 +0000http://www.one.org/us/?p=79150Great news for ONE members who have been asking their members of Congress to protect our life-saving budget – your hard work has paid off! ONE members with Rep. Terri Sewell in January 2014.

Update: On Thursday, January 16, 2014, the Senate also voted to pass the FY2014 budget bill. It now goes to the President for his signature.

Last night, after months of negotiations, Congress released the fiscal year 2014 federal budget bill. The omnibus was the result of a deal struck late last year between the House and the Senate over the federal budget. Over the holidays, members and staff of the appropriations committees worked hard to craft a bipartisan compromise bill that will fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year.

So – how did ONE’s development priorities fare?

Overall, ONE members should be very pleased with this bill. Thanks in part to their advocacy – calls, letters, emails, tweets, visits – the International Affairs budget actually increased by about 6 percent!

Overall, the bill for State and Foreign Operations is about $3 billion lower than last year’s spending levels – the drop though is because of a cut in the funding level for operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and some hot spots around the world. Given the current spending environment, this is a really good result, and represents both sides of the aisle in both chambers of Congress coming together on behalf of the world’s poorest people.

At ONE, we’re especially happy that The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria received full funding for fiscal year 2014, and that a number of programs saw increases – including GAVI (which provides millions of childhood vaccines), GAFSP, nutrition and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. We’re waiting to see how the numbers work out for Feed the Future, the billion-dollar USAID agriculture program to fight hunger and promote food security, but we have reason to be optimistic.

There’s still a few steps before this becomes law – we expect the House to pass the bill on Wednesday, and the Senate to do so later this week. Then it heads to the White House for the President’s signature.

When he signs it, ONE members should all feel a sense of pride and accomplishment – your hard work helped to achieve what we set out to do last year, which is to protect development programs designed to save millions of lives, and help people lift themselves out of extreme poverty.

]]>https://www.one.org/us/2014/01/14/international-affairs-budget-2014-house-numbers-are-in/feed/0How the government shutdown will affect ONE’s workhttps://www.one.org/us/2013/10/03/how-the-government-shutdown-will-affect-ones-work/
https://www.one.org/us/2013/10/03/how-the-government-shutdown-will-affect-ones-work/#respondThu, 03 Oct 2013 18:41:25 +0000http://www.one.org/us/?p=75398The shutdown is likely to have no short term effects on aid. Photo credit: USAID.

A lot of ONE members have been asking us about the government shutdown and what it means to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease.

Great questions, but the answers are not clear.

The current debate in Washington is over how to fund the government for Fiscal Year 2014, which started on October 1st. The House and the Senate have not agreed on a budget yet, and the shutdown is partially due to this dispute.

There’s also a dispute over funding the President’s health care law. It is a very fluid situation – and it’s unclear how (or when) this will be resolved.

With respect to ONE’s priorities, currently things are in okay shape. The shutdown will likely have no short term effects on aid.

However, if it goes on too long, our priorities could face challenges, and progress we are making against extreme poverty and preventable disease could be at risk.

We’re following the situation closely, and making sure Congress knows that they need to protect life-saving programs. Your work here has been critical – because of your emails, letters, visits, members of Congress know that you are paying attention, and that you care. Keep up the good work, and we’ll let you know as things develop.

Have a question for our government relations team? Ask in a comment below.

]]>https://www.one.org/us/2013/10/03/how-the-government-shutdown-will-affect-ones-work/feed/0Game on! The fight to preserve US-funded life-saving programs in 2014https://www.one.org/us/2013/07/31/game-on-the-fight-to-preserve-us-funded-life-saving-programs-in-2014/
https://www.one.org/us/2013/07/31/game-on-the-fight-to-preserve-us-funded-life-saving-programs-in-2014/#respondWed, 31 Jul 2013 17:22:31 +0000http://www.one.org/us/?p=72991This home health counselor tests a woman living in rural Kenya for HIV. This is possible thanks to US funding to PEPFAR.

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have recently completed their respective markups of their Fiscal Year 2014 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs appropriations bills. This is important for ONE members to know because it reveals how many US dollars Congress is proposing to the life-saving programs we fight for this year, and gives us a sense of where we should apply pressure to preserve these programs.

Let’s talk about the total budget first. This year, the Senate bill would provide $50.6 billion in discretionary funding for FY ‘14. This is $1.1 billion below the President’s FY ‘14 request, and about $2.7 billion below the FY ‘13 enacted level.

The House bill would provide $40.6 billion in discretionary funding. This is 19 percent below FY ‘13 enacted levels.

As you can see, the Senate bill is $10 billion above the House bill. The reason is because the House subcommittee received a historically low allocation from which to budget. Knowing this difference will play a crucial part of our advocacy on the budget over the next few months.

So let’s break down some of the results of the FY ’14 markups in our issue areas: anti-poverty and life-saving programs.

We’ll start with the good news:

Despite the significant difference in overall numbers, the House and Senate bills are in alignment on some of ONE’s core priorities in global health.

– The Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. A critical tool in our fight against preventable disease, the Global Fund is currently in a replenishment year in which the US commitment stands to be matched 2:1 by other donors. It would receive $1.65 billion under both bills.

– The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization would receive $175 million under both bills.

– Other programs that fight HIV/AIDS – including PEPFAR would receive $4.02 billion under both bills.

These numbers also align with the Administration’s requests. This is critically important in that it demonstrates real, bipartisan and bicameral commitments to effective, life-saving health programs.

The funding levels provided by House Chairwoman Granger, Ranking Member Lowey and Senate Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member Graham reflect not only their leadership and their committees’ work to save millions of lives, but also the hard work and dedication to these programs that our ONE members shared with them through letters, emails and office visits. Such support from ONE and others made it evident that these programs must be strongly funded.

And now, some of the challenges:

Despite the good news on global health, there’s still plenty of work for us here at ONE to make sure that other important programs are appropriately funded. Because the House subcommittee had such a low allocation, funding other priority programs was very, very difficult.

We are particularly concerned about the deep cuts to other ONE priorities like:

– The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which was cut by 18 percent from last year.

– The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) was essentially defunded.

The Senate bill provides funding for these and other key programs. For example, under the Senate bill, MCC would receive $899 million, and GAFSP would receive $135 million. As the process moves forward, we need to ensure that effective programs – like Feed the Future, GAFSP and MCC – are strongly funded in order to build on the successes they have already achieved.

Budget pressures in both chambers could result in big cuts to these programs, and we at ONE need to work to make sure that doesn’t happen. These programs remain a critical component in the fight against poverty and hunger and will need every penny we can muster to succeed.

Next steps

With both bills now out of committee, the next stage of our work begins. At this point we do not know if either bill will be considered on the floors of either chamber, but we need to be ready should they come to a vote. And if they do not get to the floor, we need to be ready to make our arguments during negotiations over any continuing resolutions or comprehensive FY ‘14 budget bills.

We face an uphill battle and need all hands on deck. But, that is where ONE’s membership comes in. Your meetings, phone calls, emails, letters, tweets – you name it – all contribute to our efforts here. We need every single one of them. So game on, and see you on the field!

Find out how you can get involved locally. Email Charlie at charris@one.org!

]]>https://www.one.org/us/2013/07/31/game-on-the-fight-to-preserve-us-funded-life-saving-programs-in-2014/feed/06 Ways to boost economic engagement with Africahttps://www.one.org/us/2013/03/12/6-ways-to-boost-economic-engagement-with-africa/
https://www.one.org/us/2013/03/12/6-ways-to-boost-economic-engagement-with-africa/#respondTue, 12 Mar 2013 14:59:16 +0000http://www.one.org/us/?p=66469“As the United States continues its vital investments in global health, there is also an opportunity for additional investment in the kind of economic statecraft that will facilitate a transition from aid to trade, guaranteeing a higher return on investment for the American taxpayer and better enabling a sustained US government investment.” – Senator Chris Coons, D-Del., “Embracing Africa’s Economic Potential”

In the report, Senator Coons lays out the case for an economic engagement policy with Africa that will be beneficial to Americans and Africans alike. As Coons points out, “[T]here is a clear and pressing need for increased US economic engagement in sub-Saharan Africa.

Increased trade facilitates growth for US businesses as well as our African partners, simultaneously strengthening our own economy and Africa’s emerging markets. In addition to creating jobs here at home, investment abroad allows US companies to project American values in critical areas of the world.” The report clearly illustrates the investment potential in Africa.

The report lays out six key recommendations for US policymakers as they consider economic engagement with Africa:

– Support African-led efforts to improve the business climate on the continent and remove barriers to trade;
– Reauthorize and strengthen the African Growth and Opportunity Act well in advance of its 2015 expiration;
– Improve coordination between US government agencies and develop a comprehensive interagency strategy for increased investment in sub-Saharan Africa;
– Increase the presence of US Foreign Commercial Service Officers in sub-Saharan Africa to help US companies navigate the business climate in the region;
– Increase support for agencies that provide financing to encourage US commercial engagement overseas, mitigate investment risks, and generate a profit for American taxpayers; and
– Engage the African diaspora community in the United States to strengthen economic ties.

The recommendations in this report are the type of smart, bipartisan policies that – if implemented properly – would likely produce exciting, quantifiable results. They recognize the huge potential for Africa, and would produce economic opportunities for Americans and Africans. At ONE, we are dedicated to fighting extreme poverty – and we know this will take a lot of smart ideas and committed actors. Reports like this one are a welcome addition to the conversation.

]]>https://www.one.org/us/2013/03/12/6-ways-to-boost-economic-engagement-with-africa/feed/0Congratulations to Senator Kerry on his confirmation as Secretary of Statehttps://www.one.org/us/2013/01/30/congratulations-to-senator-kerry-on-his-confirmation-as-secretary-of-state/
https://www.one.org/us/2013/01/30/congratulations-to-senator-kerry-on-his-confirmation-as-secretary-of-state/#respondWed, 30 Jan 2013 20:59:27 +0000http://www.one.org/us/?p=64283By a vote of 94 to 3, Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., was confirmed by the US Senate to be the next Secretary of State. Having been elected Senator of Massachusetts for five terms, Sen. Kerry’s experience as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the past four years has prepared him well for his next role on the global stage.

Photo Credit: John Kerry’s official website

A former member of the US Navy, Kerry completed two tours of duty in Vietnam. After returning home, he was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1982 before entering the US Senate. Through his leadership in Congress, Kerry has become a trusted figure in international affairs and foreign policy. His work as an informal special White House envoy to both Afghanistan and Pakistan has proven his strength as a diplomat. He helped coordinate the US response to 9/11 and subsequent policies toward Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East peace process.

We here at ONE believe Senator Kerry will make an excellent Secretary of State – and one who understands our concerns. As the Senator stated in the opening statement at his confirmation hearing, “American foreign policy is also defined by food security and energy security, humanitarian assistance, the fight against disease and the push for development, as much as it is by any single counter terrorism initiative – and it must be.” In a February 2012 op-ed he wrote for the Wall Street Journal, Senator Kerry stated that “energetic global leadership is a strategic imperative for America, not a favor we do for other countries.”

Kerry has consistently spoken out in support of our issues and the importance of humanitarian assistance in achieving national security. Members of his office have even met with ONE volunteers to discuss the importance of funding cost-effective development programs and he gave us a shout out in a speech a few years back, encouraging the audience to join ONE in our efforts to end global poverty and preventable disease. Watch a video of Kerry speaking with a ONE member here.

We’re looking forward to working with the new Secretary of State as we continue the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease – it’s a fight he’s been instrumental at waging from the halls of the Senate, and one we know he’ll continue.

This week, we got the sad news that Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii passed away. Senator Inouye was a giant in the Senate, and he will be remembered for many things. He was a World War II hero who was awarded the Medal of Honor, the second-longest serving senator in US history, the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, the first Japanese American to serve in the House, and the first to serve in the Senate. His legacy is deep.

He believed in reaching across the aisle, and his friendships in the US. Senate knew no parties. Here at ONE, we’ll remember him as a champion of the world’s most vulnerable populations, as a warrior for justice. Senator Inouye’s career was marked by a promise he made to himself when he began his service – “I promised myself that whenever I was confronted with an injustice, I would not stay silent. I would gather the facts, step forward and work to correct the wrong.” I’m not sure we could say it better. Mahalo, Senator.

]]>https://www.one.org/us/2012/12/19/senator-daniel-inouye-a-warrior-for-justice/feed/0Big losseshttps://www.one.org/us/2012/10/26/big-losses/
https://www.one.org/us/2012/10/26/big-losses/#respondFri, 26 Oct 2012 17:16:33 +0000http://www.one.org/us/?p=49424Over the last two weeks, the world’s poor lost two champions.

On October 14th, former US Senator Arlen Specter lost his fight with cancer. Both as Republican or Democrat, Senator Spector understood the importance of the international affairs to America’s security and leadership in the world, and while his party may have changed, his support for the world’s poorest people was unwavering. Year after year, Senator Specter joined a bipartisan group of senators to call for robust funding of programs that help fight extreme poverty and preventable diseases. He will especially be remembered as a champion of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on the Senate Appropriations Committee, helping to save millions of lives. The Senator was also a great friend to ONE and engaged with us so many times. His office doors both in DC and across Pennsylvania were always open to our members, and his staff warmly received our messages – a true reflection of the man they served.

Just a week after losing Senator Specter, we also lost former US Senator George McGovern. Throughout his long career, Senator McGovern was devoted to fighting hunger. Senator McGovern was the first director of the Food for Peace program and later served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Food and Agriculture. In this role, he worked closely with his friend U.S. Senator Robert Dole to broaden the scope of global school feeding and nutrition programs. This work resulted in the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. Through this program, over 22 million children around the world have been provided healthy meals.

The work of both men will endure, and here at ONE, we are determined to follow their examples, and continue the fight against extreme poverty. It’s the best way we know how to say “Thank you, Senators.”